AMC 35
The AMC 35 (from Automitrailleuse de Combat Renault modèle 1935) was a French medium cavalry tank of the later Interwar era that served in the Second World War<. It was developed as a result of the change of the specification that had led to the design of the AMC 34, calling for a vehicle that was not only well-armed and mobile but also well-armoured. Due to technological and financial problems production was delayed and limited, with Belgium as the only user to create active units with the type which they dubbed the ACG-1. The AMC 35 was one of the few French tanks of the period featuring a two man-turret. Operational History When all nine hulls had at last arrived in Belgium, it was soon discovered that engine, transmission and suspension wear was excessive. In January 1940 the two tanks that were in the worst condition were selected for transport to the arsenal of Etterbeek, to be cannibalised to keep the others running; one was used for driver training. The eight remaining tanks were concentrated in the Escadron d'Auto Blindés du Corps de Cavelerie, literally the "Armoured Car Squadron of the Cavalry Corps", which was created on 1 September 1939 at . The term Auto Blindé Lourd/ Zware Pantserwagen, or "Heavy Armoured Car," was used to avoid the politically sensitive char or "tank". The unit then moved to Ghent for its first training, gradually receiving more vehicles from Carels. Later it moved back to Brussels. The squadron had three platoons: one platoon "Staff and Services" (hors rang) and two platoons of four tanks each. The personnel were a mixture of soldiers of the 2nd Lancers Regiment (the Dutch-speaking 2e Lansiers) and the francophone 1st Guides Regiment, both units sharing the same barracks (Caserne de Witte-de Haelen) at Etterbeek. When war broke out on 10 May, the driver training tank was united with the seven others to bring the squadron to its organic strength of eight. These fought against the German Army between 17 and 27 May 1940. Four were destroyed by 37 mm PAK fire when counter-attacking, two broke down and two were surrendered to the German on 28 May 1940 when the Belgian army put down its weapons. The Museum of the Army in Brussels shows a single turret taken from one of the two pillboxes that defended the harbour of Zeebrugge or Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. The turret is property of the city of Bruges which loaned it to the Army Museum at Brussels for 99 years. At first the French tanks did not equip any units; no crews were trained to man the type. After the German breakthrough at Sedan it was decided on 15 May to send the entire tank materiel reserve to the frontline. Several ad hoc-units were hastily formed. First twelve AMC 35s were used to equip the 11e Groupement de Cavalerie, then five even more informal Corps-francs Motorisés were formed, each to equipped with seven tanks, but only five AMC 35s could at first be made ready for them; seven more were later delivered. The crews reported that the materiel was unreliable, and suffered from an extremely short range in rough terrain. The CFMs fought a delaying battle between the rivers Seine and Loire. In the anglophone literature the AMC 35 is often portraited as a major failed chance for France to turn the tide against Germany: its two-man turret is then seen as better adapted to the demands of modern manoeuvre warfare. E.g. armour historian Brian Terence White judged the type very favourably: ... one of the most advanced French tanks for its size in that as well as being equipped with a good gun it had a two-man turret ... with all the advantages in command it conferred. ... somewhat surprisingly, for in retrospect this seems to have been one of the best prewar French light tank designs, only 100 were built. The type can however, also be interpreted as an excellent example of the design constraints that forced France to adopt one man-turrets on its other tanks: the price for the AMC 35's roomy turret was an unreliable and, for the medium tank rôle, woefully underarmoured vehicle. The wreck of an AMC 35 has been salvaged and restored at the Musée des Blindés at Saumur, where it has been displayed since 2006. Vehicles captured by Germany during the Fall of France were used by the Wehrmacht as the PzKpfw AMC 738 (f) or (b) for driver training. Category:Vehicles Category:Land vehicles Category:Armoured vehicles Category:Tanks Category:Light tanks Category:AFV Category:WW2